PERU – Peru School Committee members got an earful at Monday night’s meeting with parents upset over the board’s Sept. 16 approval of all-day kindergarten classes.

Of the parents – 10 women and one man – former school board Chairwoman Rachel Buck initiated the complaints.

“My biggest concern was about the way this came about,” Buck said. “We parents were not given notice that it was being discussed. It was not publicly posted that this was being discussed.”

Heather Henson and Dave Martin echoed her comments.

“The way I found out about it really boils me,” said Martin, who wasn’t opposed to all-day kindergarten. “To find out about it in a newspaper, that fried me. That’s the wrong way to go about what you did.”

Committee Chairwoman Tammi Lyons, who was absent when the move was approved, but was aware of it, apologized to parents on the board’s behalf.

“It was not our intent for you to find out about it in a newspaper,” Lyons said. She noted that the board discussed it in open session during Superintendent John Turner’s report.

Prior to turning the meeting over to parents, Lyons said the committee had every right to make their decision, which was based on input from K-4 Principal Brenda Gammon, Turner, and kindergarten instructor Sue Bousquet.

“Nothing illegal was done in that decision,” Lyons added.

Buck stressed that nothing illegal happened in terms of the decision, but she thought parents should have been aware the issue was about to be discussed and given a chance to comment on the matter.

Buck, the same as a few other parents, said they treasured Peru’s half-day kindergarten sessions because they arranged their schedules to be at home with their young children when they were bused home at lunch.

Sarah Merrill said she liked the half-day sessions because that was the only time during the week that her husband got to see their child.

“My son and I meet with his father for lunch,” Merrill said. “Our son is always in bed before his father gets home from work. Now we have to prepare him for the change.”

That change starts Monday, Oct. 6.

Committee member Richard Colpitts, who also apologized for the lack of communication, said the board was going to go from half-day to full-day kindergarten regardless. But the opportunity arose at the Sept. 16 meeting to do it sooner than later.

When parents shared views that they didn’t believe some children would be ready for all-day kindergarten, Colpitts, who doubles as elementary schools’ principal for SAD 44, responded.

“As I understand it, it’s a difference between getting the kids prepared for all-day kindergarten and the parents prepared for all-day kindergarten. Kids are very resilient. But how do we prepare parents for this change?” he asked.

But when the subject of academics came up, the committee argued that academics starts in kindergarten not in first grade.

Unlike the majority of parents, a few thought the all-day session was a great idea.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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